"I noticed that straight away" - When Declan Rice spoke about Chelsea target Joao Felix 

Chelsea’s plans for acquiring a forward have shifted significantly, as their deal with Samu Omorodion is on the brink of collapsing. They are now reportedly focusing on Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, with both clubs discussing the possibility of including him in a deal involving Conor Gallagher.

Felix previously played in England, having been on loan at Chelsea during the latter half of the 2022-23 season. Despite struggling to make a consistent impact, Declan Rice, then with West Ham United, praised the Portugal international’s performance when the two teams met in February 2023.

In that game, Felix scored the opening goal for the Blues, although Emerson Palmieri later equalized for West Ham. The former Benfica man was a persistent threat throughout the game, with his movement and ability in tight spaces causing difficulties for Rice.

Reflecting on the game, the current Arsenal star felt that the forward consistently outperformed him during the early minutes.

“I’ve played against a lot of midfielders and No.10s and the first 10 or 15 minutes today as a player you know a top player. The way he worked from side to side to get on the ball and find space he’s an unbelievable player. I noticed that straight away. You have to be really on your game with players like him," he said. (via UberChelsea on X)

Felix began his time in England with a promising start, but gradually faded away towards the end of his stint. He made 20 appearances for Chelsea, scoring four goals, and consequently, the club decided not to retain him for the following season.

Last season, Barcelona offered him a loan deal, where he once again displayed flashes of his potential, netting 10 goals for the Blaugrana. With a potential move back to Stamford Bridge on the horizon, it will be intriguing to see how he fits into Enzo Maresca’s plans, considering the numbers of forwards already present at the club.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca satisfied with his side's pre-season performances

Chelsea had a challenging pre-season, as they suffered defeats to Celtic, Manchester City, and Real Madrid, while their final game ended in a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan.

Maresca utilized several players from his squad and felt that his team displayed an improved performance against Inter at Stamford Bridge. Marcus Thuram scored for Inter in the first half (26'), but substitute Lesley Ugochukwu equalized late in the game (90') to secure the draw.

In his post-match media briefing, Maresca expressed confidence that his team are showing steady progress with each game.

"I’m very happy because I can see that the team is improving, on the ball and off the ball," Maresca said (via Chelsea's website). "Once again today we created six or seven clear chances. We just scored one but it is important to create chances and for sure we are going to score more. Then, apart from the goal we conceded when we did a small mistake, off the ball the team was very aggressive in recovery and closing down the ball."

"We can see clear results from our work. With time, this team is going to get better and better. We started just one month ago, so I can see clearly that the team is improving."

Following their signing of Pedro Neto, Chelsea remain active in the transfer market, with both Joao Felix and Victor Osimhen linked to the club. Maresca’s focus will now shift to the Premier League as they prepare to face reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday, August 18.